Murder, no. But he did destroy Diana

Suzanne Moore

Last updated at 17:12 29 April 2004

Some of my best friends believe that Diana was murdered even though I don't. They are not fruitcakes, as Diana herself is still so often called, they do not think Elvis is alive, or believe in alien abductions or other conspiracy theories. They were never even particular fans of Diana.

So why can't they accept her death was a tragic accident?

I am not sure, but what I do know is that as long as so many people maintain Diana's death was not accidental, the Monarchy is in deep trouble.

We have now reached a situation where what Prince Charles has done or not done is no longer the issue when people are prepared to believe he has done almost anything from cavorting with oversexed servants to plotting to murder the mother of his children.

Through a mixture of arrogance and selfishness, combined with the royal tendency to refuse to disclose what the public have a right to know, Charles is to blame for much of this mess.

Remember, he was apparently prepared to let Paul Burrell languish in jail rather than intervene.

What the butler saw was that, he, and he alone, held possession of a very large can of worms and he has let them go one by one.

At every stage the Royal Family has disastrously closed ranks. Since these people won't even tell you which of Princess Anne's nasty council-estate dogs is on the rampage, why on Earth should we trust them on anything else?

What was already in the public domain, however, was the way that Diana was dealt with.

Divorced people often treat each other very cruelly and Diana was a drama queen with a propensity for feeling persecuted - but most divorcees don't have to put up with being bugged, followed and having their lovers monitored and intimidated.

That she feared her children might be taken away does not strike me as odd. She was coping not only with a vindictive ex but an incredibly powerful clan.

Charles's closest friends were rubbishing her in public and, in response, she sought out an empty celebrity world of psychic healers and private yachts.

Her penchant for Muslim men was certainly a problem. While Charles likes his Islamic gardens and wants to be called Defender of Faiths, Diana was doing more than her bit for East-West relations.

Charles clearly wished she would just go away. Six and a half years on, she still won't.

What evidence is needed to convince those who remain unconvinced that there wasn't a plot? The sane and rational explanation for her death is that accidents happen. This is always preceded by the question 'if she feared for her life why wasn't she wearing a seat belt?' Well, she was sitting in the back and maybe you don't always do the sensible thing.

Charles is being blamed by some for her death because of the way he behaved towards her when she was alive.

The refusal of a great many to see her death as an accident is caught up with the other ways he negated her. He and his family have barely mentioned her in public since her death.

Her tragedy was not simply that she got into a car driven by a drunk on antidepressants, it was that she had, indeed, loved her husband.

Charles's tragedy is that he callously destroyed that love.

He is guilty of character assassination, not actual murder.

Still, it remains to a great many of his subjects unforgivable.

Which is why now the same thing is happening to him.

They take little interest in public affairs and are fond of a drink. They treat the guards who protect them like 'chauffeurs, bellhops and valets'.

They are spoilt, rich and yet see themselves as victims of their father's job. We are, of course, talking about George W. Bush's twin daughters Barbara and Jenna.

Who do they take after I wonder?

There is not enough evidence to prosecute the soccer players in the horrendous 'roasting' incident for rape.

There was not enough evidence for Ian Huntley to be prosecuted for rape either. Rapists know that if they are seen chatting to a girl in a public place it will be assumed that whatever happened afterwards was consensual.

The appallingly low rate of conviction for rape is a disgrace. This case once more sends out the message that if a girl has had a drink men can get away with more or less anything.

Many complain about nonsensical public sector jobs. Is the private sector any better? One of the contestants on Channel 4's pointless reality TV programme Shattered describes his job as 'tanning consultant'. What the hell is that?

Fancy a trip to the States to perk yourself up? The pound is high so you can get a lot of bang for your bucks. But the more I think about it, the worse the idea becomes.

If someone with a funny sounding Welsh name is getting on the plane, you could be delayed for hours. There is also the possibility you might be shot by an air marshal for queuing by the loos.

This is a real problem for some of us. Not only do I need to walk around because of deep vein thrombosis and back trouble, I drink lots of water to avoid becoming dehydrated and lots of alcohol so as not to become deranged.

This means that I may indeed have to congregate by the loos several times in one flight, which is indeed suspicious.

But if pilots don't want men with guns on their planes then nor do I. I trust that they know more about the risks of a shootout on board than eager young men with only seven weeks training.

Once you arrive you will be fingerprinted, or if it's your lucky day, be given an 'orifice probe'. The country we are 'standing shoulder to shoulder' with may not even let you in.

Terrorists must be delighted.

In a short space of time they are turning democracies into police states and travel from a luxury into a terrifying experience in itself. Sure I believe that we must carry on as normal. That's why I'm glad that at least these days you can buy Valium on the Internet.